Can overbearing in laws wreck a marriage?

[SmashedApricot]

A friend and I were talking about her brother and his five failed marriages. They all ended for various reasons but the first one ended because of her parents constantly interfering. He walked away from his first wife and child because of this . Surely as a couple they could have united and not allowed this to happen ? I wonder if this was just an excuse as he had another woman on the go too .

With all due respect, I think anyone with 5 failed marriages behind him is clearly not good at relationships and rather than blaming the in laws, he should consider what he has been doing wrong.

Also, in laws are only a problem with the person you're married to allows their parents to behave in a certain way.

I guess it's hard to stand up to them if that's what you're used too. But ultimately if it's really affecting your O/H then something has to be done . They were very young when they married.

but the first one ended because of her parents constantly interfering

Nobody knows what went on in that marriage apart from the couple. People tend to believe what their loved ones tell them, fair enough, but does your friend not think, somewhere in her brain, that there's a common denominator in those five failed marriages?

I don't think he can be on his own .

My (now ex) in laws had a very negative effect on my marriage, sadly. Caused a lot of trouble. Created arguments between us. Very difficult for me but also for my ex would obviously couldn’t change them. They were a factor in the breakdown of my ex’s sisters marriage. Caused trouble and poisoned their dd against her husband.

Toxic in laws can affect a marriage, absolutely.

Absolutely they can. The only and I mean literally the only thing me and DH argue about are my parents. I was brought up in a very narcissistic household and when DH and I got together they literally said he ruined their lives because he took me away from them and now we are married, have a house, have a baby on the way, genuinely get on just so perfectly and then my parents (sometimes even my sister) will do or say some random, nasty thing. I’ve learned to let it wash over me it’s water off a ducks back for me but he still struggles because he’s like ‘I haven’t done anything on you or on them so why do they treat me like this’. Sorry bit of a rant there but yes in summary, interfering in laws can be catastrophic to a marriage if you let them be.